This night cream is so good at what it does — it hydrates and smooths skin like you wouldn't believe. It works fast, diminishing the appearance of, well, pretty much everything: dark spots, pores and even fine lines.
Here's another great gentle retinol option. Since it's a granactive retinoid, it's actually a bit less potentially irritating to your skin, as retinol products can be for some. The fact that it's delivered along with lightweight, hydrating squalane (another ingredient you should look into adding to your routine) also makes it an attractive pick.
When people tell you how much vitamin C helps with hyperpigmentation and scarring, they're not exaggerating. This serum makes fast work of acne scars, while also adding in moisture (not to mention a cheery aesthetic).
This is one of those skin care products that sneaks up on you. At first it seems like a nice enough, soothing and hydrating serum, but over time you'll start to notice an overall improvement in the texture/brightness of your skin. And before you know it, it'll become a must-have staple (boy, was Sephora genius when they made this one of their birthday gifts last year).
Hey, as long as we're ditching foundation, why not ditch concealer while we're at it? Differin has been around for a while, but it only became available over-the-counter in the past couple years — and what a gift that was. Its star ingredient is adapalene, a powerful retinoid that makes it a dream for prevention of all forms of acne, while reducing inflammation and redness deep in pores.